Barack Obama to Christian Van Gorder: I acknowledge the reality of recognizing Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - An associate professor of religion at Baylor University, Christian Van Gorder, has told about his talk with U.S. President Barack Obama in the article "I asked Obama about genocide" at wacotrib.com.



The full text of the article is presented below:



"What question would you ask if you had one chance to ask Barack Obama something? Last October while campaigning in the swing state of New Mexico for his presidential campaign (we also traveled to Pennsylvania), my wife and I were told we would have a chance at a $1,500 fundraiser we'd be attending to meet Obama for a few moments.



After days of thought, I decided to ask if he would pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide if he became president. When I met him I asked my question, and he said that he had already acknowledged this reality. He is repeatedly on record that he would.



Why this question? In a world filled with evils there is no more evil imaginable than genocide.



My German ancestors filled the sky with the ashes of millions of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and Slavs. In 1915, between 1 million and 2 million men, women and children of Armenia were systematically massacred by the Ottoman Turkish Empire.



British postwar trials set the number at more than 1 million. Yet, the Turkish government denies genocide and admits only that thousands of Armenians died randomly in the midst of the paroxysms of World War I.



This is a blatant, revisionist lie.



The argument in favor of avoiding the recognition of the facts of history is that the United States lives in a real world where pragmatic solutions must address actual, present problems.



The United States values Turkey's support for its wars and its military bases there. Turkey threatens to remove assistance if we acknowledge genocide.



This is bullying, pure and simple. Who needs whom more?



When France faced this same question, it acknowledged the facts of the genocide, and, after months of feuding words, the two countries returned to strong relations based on mutual self-interests.



This should be America's path: Do not lamely kowtow to damnable Turkish attempts to bully our great nation from recognizing Armenia's brutal genocide. Admit to the facts of history, then move on in a constructive partnership.

Yes, it is important to be pragmatic; but at the cost of truth? I campaigned for, and donated money to, a candidate for the first time in my life because I was hoping for "change that we can believe in."



Friends told me I was naive and that Barack was just like every other snake-oil salesman. On April 24, the anniversary of the murder of 1.5 million Armenians, we will find out exactly who is right about Obama's moral compass.



I pray our president will do the right thing and, with integrity, honor his commitment to recognize the horrific Armenian Genocide."